Sims reaches 1,000, sends Baylor to Elite Eight

Notre Dame, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Odyssey Sims scored a game-high 25 points as the Baylor Lady Bears dismissed the Kentucky Wildcats, 90-72, in the semifinals of the Notre Dame Regional at the Joyce Center.

Sims, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark during the meeting, shot 11-of-23 from the floor and also handed out seven assists for the second-seeded Lady Bears (32-4). Nina Davis added 20 points and eight rebounds, Khadijiah Cave 20 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Niya Johnson registered a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 assists in the victory.

The third-seeded Wildcats (26-9) were paced by DeNesha Stallworth with 19 points and eight boards, while Linnae Harper and Bria Goss accounted for 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Baylor led by double figures just over eight minutes into the meeting and enjoyed a 49-32 edge at the break thanks to 50 percent shooting from the field and 13-of-15 at the free-throw line. Kentucky also shot the ball well at the charity stripe (14-of-16) in the period, but the squad was a mere 25.0 percent accurate from the floor and missed on all seven chances behind the 3-point line.

Both sides knocked down 15-of-33 from the floor in the second half as they almost broke even during the 20-minute session, allowing the Lady Bears to cruise to the 18-point victory.

Sims is now just the second NCAA Division I women's player to score at least 1,000 points in a season, having entered the game today with 996. The record remains 1,062 points set by Jackie Stiles of Missouri State during the 2000-01 campaign.

The Lady Bears will now face off against the winner of the Notre Dame/Oklahoma State matchup on Monday night for the right to be a part of the Final Four in Nashville